Rhodes: Pap test can save lives

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January is Cervical Health Awareness Month, and I want to urge women to check in with their healthcare providers and talk about getting a pap test. Through routine pap tests, women can find out if they have any abnormal cervical cells. It's very rare that there are any signs or symptoms of cervical cancer, so a pap test is the best of line of defense. When it's found early, more than 92 percent of women survive cervical cancer.

I can't stress enough how important it is to take the easiest route by getting a pap test. Once a woman gets screened, then she knows. It gives her peace of mind to have information. And when a woman gets screened can be just as important as what she finds out. If she does need treatment, it's so much easier to address it when there may be the first signs of abnormal cells.

All insurance plans are now required to cover women's preventive health services, like pap tests, without any co-pays. But it's still important that a woman has a conversation with her healthcare provider about getting the pap test.

For women between the ages of 40 and 64 who have no or little health insurance and meet income requirements, the Women's Wellness Connection can be an option to get a free cervical cancer screening. The process is simple. Women can call the local number at 970-356-5059 or go to www.womenswellnessconnection.org to find the closest clinic and be connected immediately to get a free screening.

So please, I urge women to take this opportunity and make a special effort to check in with their healthcare providers and talk about getting a pap test today.